


Several Times James Asked Lily Out, and the First Time She Said Yes

by orphan_account



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Date, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-19
Updated: 2014-11-19
Packaged: 2018-02-26 06:20:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2641301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lily Evans has finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Several Times James Asked Lily Out, and the First Time She Said Yes

"I told you you'd go out with me eventually, Evans."  
"I swear I will walk away right now, James."  
Lily Evans had finally agreed to go on a date with James Potter. He had been asking her out incessantly since fifth year, and this year - against most of her better judgement - she finally agreed. She didn't know what made her say yes; maybe he really had matured over the summer. He had been elected Head Boy, after all, that had to have some merit...but Lily couldn't help but see that cockiness she remembered from the boy who used to tease classmates and tug on her braids.  
"Right, sorry, Lily."  
Lily looked up at James. "You called me Lily."  
"What?"  
"You always call me Evans, but you called me Lily."  
"So I did."  
Lily didn't say anything else. They were walking from the castle grounds to Hogsmeade, crunching over the light layer of snow on the ground. The air was cool and crisp, biting at Lily's cheeks and nose and finding ways to sneak under her coat and scarf. She had forgotten her mittens in her rush to get ready, and her fingers were so numb from the cold that she didn't notice James was holding her hand.  
"What are you doing?" She asked, yanking her hand away.  
"Holding your hand?" James said, eyebrow raised. Suddenly, he cleared his throat and turned away. "Sorry, I'll stop."  
Lily looked away. She stared down at the snow, and then chuckled, a little, to herself. "What, what is it?" James asked. Lily shook her head.  
"Oh, nothing," She said.  
"C'mon, Evans, share your secrets.  
"I just think it's funny, that's all," She said, and looked up at James. "How you're trying to be more mature for me."  
"Oh, I've matured, Evans," He said with a look of mock-confidence, or maybe real confidence. "I've really grown up since last year."  
"You have, have you?"  
"Yep," James nodded. "No more pranks, no more jokes...okay, well maybe a few pranks and jokes, but not at anyone's expense. I'm going to focus more on my studies -"  
"Now you're just lying to me."  
"Yes, I am, but see, now I'm owning up to it. Mature, Evans, that's what I'm telling you."  
They had arrived at Hogsmeade. Around Christmas, the village was especially beautiful. The shingled rooves were dusted like cakes with powdered sugar, and holly wreaths hung on doors and candles floated in the trees. Frosted shop windows boasted Christmas gifts or decorations, and Lily could hear carolers lit by the glow of street lamps tied with large red bows. People as bundled in scarves and sweaters hurried by to find warmth from the cold, or strolled at a more liesurely place to observe the holiday cheer that had been implemented in the tiny village. It was beautiful, and Lily was content to simply wander and observe, until James steered her in the direction of a particular pastel pink tea shop.  
"No!" She exlaimed. "No, we are NOT going to Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop on a first date," Lily said, digging her feet in to the snow. "There is no way I'm stepping foot in there."  
"What? Why not?" James asked.  
"It's cliché, it's full of frills and lace, and it always reeks of perfume and desperation."  
"Which makes it a classic first date location."  
"And not at all the kind of place James Potter would want to spend his time," Lily said. "James, I said I wanted you to mature, not be someone we're not."  
"You're so quick to assume that I'm taking you here to impress you!"  
Lily stood there and raised both eyebrows. She tried to raise one, but she had never been able to master that. James sighed. "Okay, fine, Evans, you got me. I wanted to look like the kind of guy who knows how to plan a perfect date, but I have no idea what in the hell I'm doing."  
Lily shook her head. "You've been asking me out for years, and you never imagined how it might go if I said yes?"  
"Honestly, I reached a point where I thought you'd never say yes."  
Lily sighed and stared down at her feet. She suddenly smiled, mischeviously. "Alright, I'll make the calls. Sound good?"  
"Sounds frightening -"  
"Good, let's go," Lily said, and took James' hand. It was surprisingly warm for the cold outside, and she could feel how smooth and soft his skin was from lack of any physical labor in his life. Lily had a few calluses on her fingers from when she wrote - she had the tendancy to press down to hard on the quill - and felt a little self-conscious. Then she realized that James didn't care that she had calluses on her fingers, and would never care.  
"The Hog's Head?" James asked when they stopped in front of the infamously dingy pub. "Here? Isn't it usually populated by...er...unsavory types?"  
"Scared, Potter?" Lily asked with a grin.  
"You wish, Evans," James said quickly, before clearing his throat and pushing open the door.  
It was true, there were a few "unsavory types" in the bar. Men and women cloaked in dark colors, covering their faces and nursing glasses of mysterious looking beverages. Few o them were sitting together, and those who were mumbled to each other in gruff voices. There were a few "regular types" and students in the bar, but they were sitting in the corners and speaking quietly. Everyone looked up at James, and Lily saw him turn every shade of red. She stifled a laugh and approached the bartender, ordering two butterbeers and guiding James to a rickety wooden table in the corner.  
"So, uh, come her frequently?" James asked, eyeing an old man mumbling to himself in the middle of the room.  
"Oh, all the time," Lily said easily, although that was a lie. She had never been inside the Hog's Head, but it didn't scare her. She just needed to prove to James that she didn't need frilly doillies and pink lace to have a good time.  
"I see," James mumbled, and took a quick sip of his drink, still darting his eyes wildly around the room.  
"Listen, if you don't want to stay..."  
"No, no, no, no, no," James said, shaking his head too much. "I'm perfectly fine, Evans, trust me."  
"Right, perfectly fine," Lily said with a small smile. "So, James, what did your little group of friends say when you told them I finally said yes?"  
"I didn't tell anyone," James said.  
"Oh, right, of course," Lily chuckled. "I'm sure you didn't run straight up to Sirius and casually mention how you were going to be too busy to hang out with him this weekend because you were going to be too busy snogging Lily Evans -"  
"Conceited, much?" James teased. "But honestly, I didn't tell anyone."  
Lily paused. "Really? You didn't tell anyone."  
"Not a soul."  
"Why not?"  
"Oh, do I detect a little dissappointment in your voice, Evans? Maybe a little part of you wishes I would show off to all my friends about the extraordinary Lily Evans..."  
"No, really, James, you tell your friends everything. And they seemed to have been involved in every aspect of your years-long conquest to go on a date with me, so why not let them no you had finally succeeded?"  
"Because somethings you don't need to tell your friends," James said simply. "Besides, I'm waiting to give them good news."

"Good news?" Lily raised both eyebrows again. "What kind of good news are you hoping for?"  
"That you go out with me again."  
Lily looked down at her drink and smiled. "We'll see, Potter."  
"So that's a yes?"  
"That's a maybe. Date's not over yet. Remember, I call the shots."  
"Right, of course. And where to next, then?"  
"Finish your drink first, and then I'll tell you."  
"Oh, keeping secrets, are we?"  
Lily giggled. When their drinks were finished she grabbed James' hand again and pulled him out the door, nearly knocking over several tables and chairs in the process. She ran through the village excitedly, earning the stairs of several passerby. James kept asking her to slow down, interspersed by bursts of laughter and heavy breathing as they climbed a particularly steep hill at one end of the village. The towering pine trees were all lightly frosted with snow, and tiny white flakes began to drift down from the fat white clouds. They continued to climb higher and at a steeper angle, leaving Lily's heart pounding and her breath short. She could hear James trudging behind her, and he nearly collapsed when she came to a stop.  
"Okay, Evans, you had better have a good explenation for dragging me up that -"  
Before he could finish his sentence, Lily turned his head to look at the view at the bottom of the hill. Hogsmeade was lit up like the night sky, each shop and street lamp glowing with bright white or soft yellow-orange. The sky was growing darker and began to sprout stars like chips of diamonds. And, in the distance, the massive stone towers of Hogwarts, blossoming against the inky blue of the night and standing like a giant over the tiny village. The view was, in short, breathtaking.  
"Wow," James said with a sigh, dropping his arms by his side and staring with eyes childish-ly wide. Lily giggled, the kind of laugh that had been bubbling up for hours and she couldn't surpress. This spot on the hill had always been a private spot for Lily, a place where she could think or dream or cry without anyone bothering her. She didn't know what made her bring James here - she had never planned on bringing anyone to her spot, especially James Potter - but something made her need to share with him. Share just a little part of her.  
"It's beautiful, don't you think?" She said dreamily.  
"Stunning," James agreed. He looked over at Lily. "Almost as beautiful as you."  
Normally Lily would have playfully smacked James on the arm, but all she did was stare down at her feet and blush. "James..."  
James reached over and took Lily's hand, softly, so that they were barely touching. When Lily turned to look up at him, he leaned down and quickly pecked her on the cheek. Lily stared up at him, and suddenly James turned red again. "Sorry, I...I didn't mean to, I shouldn't have -"  
James was cut off by Lily's lips pressed against his. She didn't know what had compelled her to do something so forward so quickly, but there was something that she couldn't help but like about this boy. They only kissed briefly, but her hands lingered on his for a little while longer. They smiled, then laughed, then blushed, then turned back to face Hogwarts again. The snow was falling a little heavier, and landing in soft swirls on Lily's shoulders. James took her hand, squeezed it, and she didn't pull away.  
"It's a yes."  
"What?" James asked, turning to look at Lily.  
"I'm saying to yes to a second date," Lily said with a smile. "When this one is over, of course, and you ask me out again."  
"I still have to ask you out again?"  
"Of course," Lily said with a grin. "It's the mature thing to do."  
"Right, of course," James laughed. "I'm glad you finally said yes, Evans."  
"Me too, James. Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> So I kind of didn't re-read or edit this after I finished writing it, so I apologize for any errors. Eventually I'll go back and fix everything, I just wanted to publish the first draft before I completely forgot about it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
